Early years
Helm was born in Marvell, Arkansas and began playing the guitar at the age of eight. Helm also played drums during his formative years and established his first band The Jungle Bush Beaters while in high school. He was influenced by the Grand Ole Opry and by R&B songs that he heard on radio station WLAC out of Nashville, Tennessee.
Helm became interested in rock and roll after attending an Elvis Presley concert. He moved from Arkansas to Memphis, Tennessee where he was influenced by Bo Diddley and Conway Twitty. At age 17 he was invited to join The Hawks, backing rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins. Soon after Helm joined The Hawks, they moved to Toronto where, in 1959, they signed with Roulette Records and released several singles, including a few hits.
In the early 1960s Helm and Hawkins recruited an all-Canadian lineup of musicians: guitarist Robbie Robertson, bassist Rick Danko, pianist Richard Manuel and organist Garth Hudson. In 1963, the band parted ways with Hawkins and started touring under the name Levon and The Hawks and later to the Canadian Squires before finally changing back to The Hawks. They recorded two singles, but found little success.
The Band
By the mid 1960s, Bob Dylan was interested in performing electric rock music, and asked The Hawks to be his backing band. Disheartened by fans' negative response to Dylan's new sound, Helm returned to Arkansas for what turned out to be a two-year layoff, being replaced by Mickey Jones. During his absence, The Hawks had taken up residence in Woodstock, New York and began writing their own songs; Danko and Manuel also shared writing credits with Dylan on a few songs. Here they recorded a large volume of demo tapes, many with fellow Woodstock resident Dylan (who had completely withdrawn from public life the previous year). These recordings were widely bootlegged, and the best tracks were officially released only in 1975 as The Basement Tapes double album. The songs and themes developed during this period played a crucial role in the group's future direction and style.
In 1967 Helm returned to the group, which by then was christened simply as The Band. They recorded Music From Big Pink, which catapulted them into stardom. On Big Pink, Manuel was the most prominent vocalist and Helm sang mainly backup, with the outstanding exception of "The Weight," but as Manuel's health deteriorated and Robertson's songwriting increasingly looked south for influence and direction, subsequent albums relied more and more on Helm's growling but eerily plaintive vocals (alone or in harmony with Danko), both enriched by and anchored in lush Southern texture. Singing lead, Helm brought out common elements in folk and blues vocal styles, often assuming the character of a kind of mythical Southern everyman, who witnesses bewildering events and reacts to them with wonder and rage. Helm played drums for perhaps 85% of The Band's songs, including most of those for which he sang lead. But the entire group was multi-instrumental, and often Helm would be found performing on mandolin or 12-string rhythm guitar when Manuel played drums, and bass when Danko played fiddle.
Helm remained with The Band until their 1976 farewell performance, The Last Waltz, which was recorded in a documentary film by Martin Scorsese. Although many now know Helm through his appearance in the concert film – a performance remarkable for the fact that Helm's vocal tracks appear substantially as he sang them during a grueling concert – he repudiated his involvement with the film shortly after the final scenes were shot and, in his autobiography, offers scathing criticisms of the film and of his former bandmate, Robertson, who produced the film.
As solo artist, The Band reunited
With the breakup of The Band in its original form, Helm began working on a solo album Levon Helm & the RCO All-Stars, which was followed soon thereafter by Levon Helm. He recorded solo albums in 1980 and 1982 entitled American Son and (once again) Levon Helm. Helm also participated in Paul Kennerley's 1980 country music concept album, The Legend of Jesse James, singing the role of Jesse James alongside Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris and Albert Lee.
In 1983, The Band reunited without Robbie Robertson, but then Manuel committed suicide while on tour in 1986. Helm, Danko and Hudson continued in The Band, releasing the album Jericho in 1993 and High on the Hog in 1996. The final album from The Band was the 30th anniversary album, Jubilation, released in 1998.
His most recent solo albums, Dirt Farmer, was released in 2007 to favorable reviews and followed in 2009 with an album entitled "Electric Dirt", which included a cover of the Grateful Dead song Tennessee Jed.
Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1998. On April 19, 2012, Helm died of throat cancer complications in New York City.
Feelin' Good
Levon Helm Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the money in the world spent onl feelin' good
Well, the wino met me on the streets
Said, "Help me on to some Sneakin' Pete
Please, help me brother, I wish you would
'Cause I feel so bad and I wanna feel good"
Feelin' good, feelin' good
All the money in the world is spent on feelin' good
Well, you see them folks all dressed so fine
Dancing, drinking champagne and wine
They'd pinch your pockets now if they could
'Cause they ain't doing nothing but feelin' good
Feelin' good, feelin' good
All the money in the world is spent on feelin' good
Red, yellow, black or tan
Makes no difference: a man's a man
They oughta live together now if they could
Then the whole wide world would be feelin' good
Feelin' good, feelin' good
All the money in the world spent on feelin' good
Feelin' good, feelin' good
All the money in the world spent on feelin' good
The song "Feelin' Good" by Levon Helm is a commentary on the societal obsession with feeling good at any cost. The lyrics emphasize how people spend all their money and time on feeling good, whether it's through drugs or extravagant parties. The first verse talks about a wino who approaches the singer on the street and asks for help finding Sneakin' Pete, a euphemism for cheap liquor. The wino is desperate to feel good, despite his current state of misery. The second verse describes wealthy people who are only concerned with feeling good through indulgent behavior, even at the expense of others. Helm sings that they would "pinch your pockets now if they could" to maintain their lavish lifestyles.
The final verse addresses the need for unity among all people, regardless of race or skin color. Helm encourages everyone to live together harmoniously so that the entire world can experience the joy of feeling good. The repeated chorus emphasizes this message, and the overall tone of the song is one of optimism and hope for a better future.
Overall, "Feelin' Good" is a poignant social commentary that addresses the vice of indulgence and the importance of unity and goodwill.
Line by Line Meaning
Feelin' good, feelin' good
Life is great and I am feeling fantastic
All the money in the world spent on feelin' good
People invest all their money in an attempt to find happiness
Well, the wino met me on the streets
I encountered an intoxicated individual while walking around
Said, "Help me on to some Sneakin' Pete
The individual requested assistance obtaining a particular alcoholic beverage
Please, help me brother, I wish you would
The person pleaded with me to assist them, hoping I would oblige
'Cause I feel so bad and I wanna feel good'
The individual conveyed their sense of despair and desire to feel better
Well, you see them folks all dressed so fine
I noticed individuals who were fashionable and wealthy
Dancing, drinking champagne and wine
These people appeared to be having a good time and enjoying an extravagant lifestyle
They'd pinch your pockets now if they could
These wealthy individuals would take advantage of anyone to gain more money
'Cause they ain't doing nothing but feelin' good
These people are only seeking pleasure and enjoyment without regard for others
Red, yellow, black or tan
People of any race or ethnicity deserve equal treatment
Makes no difference: a man's a man
Regardless of superficial differences, all individuals are equal and should be treated as such
They oughta live together now if they could
It would be ideal if people of different backgrounds could coexist peacefully
Then the whole wide world would be feelin' good
If people could live together harmoniously, the world would be a better place for all
Feelin' good, feelin' good
The overall message of the song is that everyone should strive to feel good
All the money in the world spent on feelin' good
The song suggests that people often use money to try to achieve happiness
Contributed by Kaitlyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
mat11trick
This song makes me feel so damn good
Pierce Fussell
Rest in Peace Levon Helm!
p s y c h o s o c i a l
my father used to play this with his friend who died because of a tumor. I come here and in my head I see them playing this song. also, I liked to sing this one with them too. masterpiece.
yeahokyep
I just heard this song at Starbucks so had to google the lyrics. Awesome song! Thanks for uploading it T.A.
TOOMUCHTlME
Levon does a fantastic job on this tune, but it was actually written by JB Lenoir.
SonVolt
Sounds great. Thanks for the upload!
This is not my real name
Levon is absolutely right on the topic of this song. I never quite looked at it in that way, but Levon is absolutely right. Now I can not look at it any other way. Thanks Levon!
Susan Predis
6 thumbs down? Dear God save them from themselves
Greg Morton
U okay dear get well
WowThings
Heard this at Moe's Southwest grill, I like it!!!